"Where's the beef?" is a catch phrase best known in the United States and Canada. Since it was first used, it has become an all-purpose phrase questioning the substance of an idea, event or product.

It came to public attention in a 1980s US television commercial created by Joe Sedelmaier as part of Dancer, Fitzgerald, Sample's fast food advertising campaign for the Wendy's chain of hamburger restaurants. In the ad, titled "Fluffy Bun", elderly actress Clara Peller receives a competitor's burger with a massive bun (the competitor's slogan was "Home of the Big Bun"). The small patty prompts the gruff Peller to angrily exclaim "Where's the beef?" The humorous ad and Peller's memorable character soon gave the catch-phrase a life of its own, and it was repeated in countless TV shows, films, magazines, and other media outlets.

First airing on January 10, 1984, "Fluffy Bun" featured three elderly ladies examining an exaggeratedly huge hamburger bun topped with a minuscule hamburger patty: the other two ladies poked it, exchanging bemused comments: "It certainly is a big bun." "It's a big fluffy bun", before being interrupted by Peller's outraged, irascible demand. Sequels featured Peller yelling at a Fluffy Bun executive on his yacht over the phone, and coming up to drive up windows at multiple fast food restaurants that would be slammed down before she could complete the line.

Gary Hart and Walter Mondale

The phrase was associated with the 1984 U.S. presidential election. During primaries in the spring of 1984, when the commercial was at its height of popularity, Democratic candidate and former Vice President Walter Mondale ridiculed the candidacy of his rival, Senator Gary Hart by using the phrase during a televised debate before the New York and Pennsylvania primaries. The debate was televised March 11, 1984.

Hart had moved his candidacy from dark horse to the lead over Mondale based on his repeated use of the phrase "new ideas." When Hart once again used the slogan in the debate, Mondale leaned forward and said, "When I hear your new ideas I'm reminded of that ad, 'Where's the beef?'" The line got a great response from the audience. Thenceforth, the two campaigns continually clashed using the two dueling slogans. Mondale ultimately prevailed to win the Democratic Party nomination, only to lose the general election in 1984 in a landslide to incumbent Ronald Reagan.

Other Sources

• Christine McGlade from You Can't Do That on Television used the catch phrase on the 1984 'Literature' episode.
• Tim Kazurinsky used the line in a sketch as Swami Havnagootiim Vishnuuerheer on Saturday Night Live in the 1980s. The Swami would answer the unanswered questions of the universe, and he reminded the audience that he was a holy man, and that cows were sacred to him. He then held up a large stuffed mailbag and requested that he not be asked "Where's the beef?"
• Where's the Beef? Advertising feedbackAdBeef.com is an advertising feedback website for the public and advertising professionals where they can discuss advertisements and assist other advertising professionals with advertisement concepting by critiquing the ads each other submits.
• In the The Simpsons episode Lisa's First Word, Homer makes a reference to the saying after Marge shows the family the newspaper she saved when Lisa was born.
• In EuroTrip, when the main characters visit Bratislava, a crazy local named Tibor who loves America uses this phrase.

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